Thursday, April 27, 2006

The building here at work is swarming with muchkins: all meticulously sharpening their pencils, coloring on blank sheets of paper, and swirling round and round in our office chairs. Due to it being "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day", our office is full of the life and laughter only children can bring. My company takes this day very seriously, providing day long activities for them around campus intertwined with some time with actually seeing what the parent does for a living. It's actually very nice if you ask me!

I can recall many years ago, when my mom once took me to work with her in celebration of the more outdated "Take your Daughter to work day". I remember being fascinated by all the attention from her coworkers and how special I felt having been able to help my mom in everyday mundane tasks that bore me like all hell as an office dweller these days. It truly made me feel closer to my mom in a way I can't even explain. Thinking back, the memory will always stay fresh in my mind and I know if and when I do have children, you better believe they will come and celebrate the day with me just the way it was intended.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

With all these networking and reunion sites out there it seems the world has shrunk 10 times over. I recently compounded this "shrinkage" by opening up a myspace account last week. You type in all your information and, presto, suddenly there is a list of people which you "probably" know from previous schools attended or from your previous job.

I have to admit, it was kinda nice to see the faces of high school friends I haven't spoke to in 10 years. It was even nicer to email a few back and forth to bullshit and catch up. Though, it's too bad it can't block out those you want to forget, like ex boyfriend from hell and that conceited stuck up girl from back in the day. What's funnier to me is that some things just don't change. This is evident simply by the look of ms thang's profile (you know the ones with pics of her booty everywhere). Looks like the only thing that changed about her is her waist size. Not to say that I wish any one (not even the abovementioned asshole ex) bad in their life, I just rather not even think about all the long since past bullshit and drama.

Yet, I feel all the high school memories coming back to me the more I think about it all.

Friday, April 21, 2006

1. Due to the horrible fact that each morning I walk my dog half asleep - straight out of bed - I tend to be pretty spaced out during our walks. Well, this morning I accidentally brought the wrong set of keys out with me, locking me out of my house. Picture me: locked out of my house at 6:45 a.m. in my pajamas, with my hair in a half-ass ponytail (because nobody wants to see my afro that early in the morning lemme tell you), with no cell phone...trying to crawl in through the window. Yeah, I know, it was incredibly stupid thing to do, but in afterthought, it was HILARIOUS !

2. I haven't cooked a hot meal in over a week. Please don't ask me what my diet has been consisting of, I might have to lie or plead the fifth.

3. Don't tell anyone, but I used the Crate and Barrel gift card my brother gave me for Christmas to buy his wedding gift online. C'mon now, times are harsh, what can I say ?!!

4. For the past two months I thought I blew out my subwoofer in the car, when all it was is that I somehow turned on a feature which deactivated my back speakers...opps! I'm glad I didn't take it into the shop. (I swear I went to college, I swear it!!)

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Guess what ? If you own a Chicago Public Library Card, you can now download audio books for free!! I just checked, and they currently have over 1300 books for immediate download, some which can even be burned to cd. For the next few months, don't be surprised to find me avidly "reading" in the car.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Double bladed regret Let me slip into your self pshyche words and images unfold the untold/thoughts so deep you did't even know they are there/Instead youBlock it out Foreshadowed in self doubtyou let them take advantage of your innocence...of your heart...set out from the start to impart lonliness onto your unknowing heartBut thats just the start CUZthis path you laid outlike tarot cards on the floorand somewhere through this mess you've come to expect the regretsso deeply setin your mindso take this timemake boundary lines ands definewhat you areAnd what you are notdouble dot those i'sas you then watch your spirit soar highgrow dem wings you never knew you had insideAND JUST FLY !!

It's definitely a good day! It's close to 80 degrees here in Chicago and the office is as quiet as a breeze. Plus, there's talk that management will let us out early in celebration to the Easter holiday. Whoo HOO!!

Good news: my sinus infection is in recession and I can finally breathe with somewhat ease today. It's funny how you take your health for granted until you are sick for long stretches at a time, isn't it ? Needless to say, I'm feeling like a million bucks. This morning I opened up all my windows in the car for the first time this year and sang at the top of my lungs to Mystic on the way to the office. (sidenote: does anyone, by chance, know what happened to her ? She hasn't made anything in a minute.)

Anyway, I am enjoying the weather more than words could possibly convey. Just feeling the sun on my face and the warmth in the air makes me reminiscent of summer vacation, bar-be-ques, and the scent of my mom's garden. To top things off, just last night I heard the ice cream truck make it's way down my block. :)

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

That phrase has stuck with me the last few weeks amongst all the talk about changing the illegal immigration policy in the U.S. Mainly, because in my mind, even if the U.S. constructs a Berlin proportioned wall between the borders between the U.S. and Mexico, people will still find their way in, whether it be through obtaining illegal paperwork or climbing and/or cannonballing themselves above it. This debate has really hit me hard, as it deals directly with my chicano brothers and sisters out there. While they may be illegal: they are undoubtedly an integral portion of the fabric of this society. Yet I am torn as a taxpayer to be forced to pay their debt to society. It truly is a strange feeling.

And above all the chatter of the media and heated debate among all of us with a voice, I know in my heart that the proposed policy changes will not work. Immigration will continue to be a daunting problem. I say this simply for many reasons, but most importantly, I say this because the policy changes do not deal with the root cause of the immigration problem: the economic crisis going on in Mexico. It's a simple fact: these people are fleeing their beloved country because of necessity and hope for a better life. They are so desperate that they risk life and limb to get here illegally. The proposed policy changes totally ignore this fact. What our government should be focusing on (instead of trying to put up a physical border) is to deal with the root issue of WHY they are coming here!!! And the solution is economically simple: Let's help Mexico become a more prosperous nation, allowing their poor and homeless a chance at survival and mere happiness. It can be as simple as giving U.S. companies tax breaks which open up shop there.

Last but not least, I must say that I'm sick and tired of people (and to a lesser extent: the media) quoting statistics stating that Mexican-Americans are more criminal, less intelligent, more lazy, and are a drain to our society as a whole. Believe it or not, it's true: if every single illegal immigrant was labeled a criminal and deported, we would truly fuck this country up in unimaginable ways. While undocumented workers are only about 5 percent of our overall labor force, they are between 22 and 36 percent of: America's insulation workers, miscellaneous agricultural workers, meat-processing workers, construction workers, dishwashers, and maids. The American Farm Bureau, the lobbying group for agricultural interests, says that without guest workers, the United States would lose $5 billion to $9 billion a year in fruit, vegetable, and flower production alone.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

It's been beautiful outside for the past week here in Chicago. Unfortunately, I have not been able to enjoy much of it due to a nasty sinus infection which doesn't want to go away. I've been hopped up on antibiotics, Nyquil, DayQuil, and green tea laced with honey and lemon for so long I fear my body doesn't know how to function without them in my system. I'm going to have to go back to the doctor soon because all the meds don't seem to be doing much but getting the virus that found it's way into my body even madder.

tea cup wisdom

"It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper." ~ Barack Obama